LONDON: Yet again Andre Villas-Boas has failed to see out a contract in the Premier League. Sacked prevously in mid-season by Chelsea the Portuguese coach has now hit Groundhog Day with Tottenham after Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool.

The defeat was the club’s worst at White Hart Lane in 16 years and left Spurs seventh in the Premier League, yet still only eight points behind leaders Arsenal. They are also in the knockout stages of the Europa League in which they have been drawn against Dnipr of Ukraine.

Villas-Boas is the Premier League’ fifth sacking of the season. Tim Sherwood will take over as caretaker in the interim, starting with the League Cup quarter-final against West Ham on Wednesday night.

A one-time aide to Jose Mourinho, the 36-year-old took over at White Hart Lane in succession to Harry Redknapp in July 2012. But a club statement said: “The club can announce that agreement has been reached with head coach Andre Villas-Boas for the termination of his services. The decision was by mutual consent and in the interests of all parties.

“We wish Andre well for the future. We shall make a further announcement in due course.”

Villas-Boas was dismissed by Chelsea in March 2012 after just over eight months in charge at Stamford Bridge and had hoped to rebuild his reputation at Tottenham. But a six-goal beating at Manchester City, a three-goal drubbing by West Ham and now the battering at home to Liverpool proved too much for chairman Daniel Levy.

Decision

On Sunday night Villas-Boas said he would not “resign” as he was not a “quitter” but he was then summoned to a meeting with Levy which took the decision out of his hands.

Early names being linked with the vacancy include current Russia boss and former England manager Fabio Capello, ex-Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo and Swansea’s Michael Laudrup as well as former Tottenham playmaker and ex-England boss Glenn Hoddle.

Capello worked previously for England with Spurs’sports director Italian Baldini, the man who decided on the summer transfer strategy which reinvested on a swathe of newcomers the income from the world record £85m sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.

Bale scored 21 goals last season as Spurs finished a point behind fourth-placed Arsenal to miss out on Champions League qualification.

Tottenham recruited Paulinho, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiriches and Erik Lamela with the money from the sale of the Wales international but the team has been unconvincing so far this season.

Villas-Boas had only managed one win from his previous six home league games, with his side scoring just 15 goals in 16 top-flight matches.

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